Armenian ministry promises to pay Nairit workers’ back wages

YEREVAN, November 26. / ARKA /. Citing Armenian energy and natural resources ministry, Anush Harutyunyan, a press secretary for Nairit synthetic rubber plant in Yerevan, said today the workers will get soon their back wages for 2-3 months.

She said energy and natural resources Armen Movsisyan promised that before the end of this week, the workers will get back wages for one month and over the next month they will get the back wages for one or two months.

Today the plant’s workers marched to the presidential residence demanding their 11 months unpaid wages. At the residence they were told that president Sargsyan could not accept them because of visiting Lebanon.

The press secretary said the workers are determined to continue the protest action to demand their wages which stand at about $1 million.

In 2010, the employees of the plant staged a picket in front of the presidential administration demanding their unpaid salaries. The president ordered the plant to pay the wage arrears.

Nairit plant was closed in 1989 for ecological reasons, but resumed partial operation in 1992-93. In 2006 some 90 % of its shares were sold to a British-registered Rainoville Property Limited at $40 million. The Armenian government has a 10 percent stake in the Soviet-built company, which has repeatedly changed owners over the past two decades. Minister Movsisyan would say that the plant’s reconstruction may cost up to $400-500 million. -0-